A Thousand and One Nights
by JeffC FTW
Summary: In one of the most exotic locations in the world, two souls are bound together for eternity.


**I truly missed doing Jonathan Crane/Talia al Ghul, but thanks to a chapter in "Moments of Eternity" by Anna M. Phoenix and my own ideas, as well as drawing from Sarah Brightman's Harem and "The Tales of the Arabian Nights" which is classic literature that also inspired that album, I bring you Dr. Crane and Talia's "a thousand and one nights". :) Set in Marrakesh, Morocco, one of my favorite places ever. Chapter seven of "Moments of Eternity" takes place in Morocco also, but it's in another part from Marrakesh. Morocco seemed logical enough, too. I also love belly dancing that Talia doing so in previously mentioned story - and for Bane in that one - hit the spot.  
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 **Nothing is mine, not even the location of the exotic landscapes I did my research, or even the music. And this is in no way related to "The Hellbound Heart", the last one of these two I did.**

A desert was a barren area of land where little precipitation occurs and the living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. Even for humans. The lack of vegetation exposed the unprotected surface of the ground to the processes of exposure and removal of the surface layer.

Precisely why Dr. Jonathan Crane was never fond of traveling to this place to begin with, but his employer insisted on it.

Morocco was a rugged mountain landscape with large portions of desert, and ten times hotter than Georgia, where he spent his hated childhood. But Ra's al Ghul wanted nothing but the best for his daughter in the Middle East, to honor their heritage. And Crane never thought that, in his wildest dreams, he would find himself outside Gotham City where his mentor and employer found him when he was still a student at Gotham State. Apparently, the mysterious but powerful man had found out about the mysterious poisoning of one Robert Lewis - the young man at the time who enjoyed to talk about Jonathan to his friends, even shared a dorm with him, until the second to last year when young Jonathan could bear no more and tested his newest form of his toxin which actually killed his rival. Jonathan Crane had not killed anyone since his grandmother and the school bullies Griggs and Squires - and somehow Ra's al Ghul found out, recruited him because he had seen the reports on the cause of death.

He had become instantly fascinated when he got the young man to admit to his delight in fear, studying and understanding it, and saw his potential one day. That was why he promised to help Jonathan gain a position after his graduation the following year to become a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum, and eventually its head. And look where he was now. He had the greatest position anyone could ask for, and all the test subjects to ask for. It was not entirely just to help Ra's hold the city of Gotham to ransom - which could prove valuable for his research as the funds from the city fathers could do so much.

But that was another story entirely.

When he met his employer's daughter, he saw a frost in her blue eyes that mirrored his own. He never thought of himself in any way other than proud, and the manner others would describe him would be the negative connotation of narcissism. He never socialized, never had any real friends - and never anyone to _love_ him.

He could see it in her eyes that she never had love either, except a long time ago. That innocence was ripped from her as his own had been. Perhaps that was the beginning - and one of the main reasons - of why he was drawn to her. At first, he had to say he wanted to resist her because how did he know she was not setting him up to her advantage, like Squires?

"Eventually, my time will run out," Ra's had told him, "and my daughter needs a worthy companion. She's the heir to the League of Shadows, and you yourself are a man not with brawn, but with brains...but brains will not always get you far enough."

That was the beginning of the...courtship.

Talia was...enigmatic, for lack of a better word. She was fierce and witted. She would gladly lift her chin back at him if he thought he could be better than her, but she was a warrior who could strike him down if she wanted to. Sometimes he envied her for that, but she began to teach him herself how to fight back. Her father granted them both that privilege.

His body was under an enormous strain when he allowed himself to be bruised and cut, sweating and bleeding - and feeling so much power in his veins. It was not entirely the same satisfaction as the reaction of his patients under the influence of his hallucinogen which had attracted his mentor's attention to cause mass hysteria - which the good doctor hoped to spread - but it made him like he could physically take down a brute opponent if he wanted to. But even though he developed the prowess, he was still limited due to his still slim build.

As for Talia al Ghul, she had the body of a goddess. Her long hair, curling madly and dark as night, complementing her golden, unblemished skin. Her eyes were wide as the ocean, clear on the top but dark beneath the depths. Filled with so much power that could even give the other person the freezing on the spot. That was what impressed him even more than anything else, drove his body to flames, and sent chills through his nerves that he was supposed to give his victims. Talia made him thrum with potential and intense... _pleasure_. The longer time he spent with her for a year, to go by - given they were often apart, he in Gotham and she overseas - he saw her as the first and only real positive female in his life.

She was his life. She wasn't a distraction, treated him as an equal and as a higher power.

And now, after another year to go by, marrying her meant marrying into that higher power.

He was barely thirty and she was not yet twenty now. Somehow he felt like he was missing out on something important. He had gotten everything he ever wanted, and now that it occurred to him, a wife was the last thing he needed.

He could not ever ask for her hand without her father's appreciation; it brought to mind the story of her parents' tragedy, and her protection by Bane, the masked brute who her father hated most. Bane might be a monstrous fighter, but he wasn't even human. Crane met the man once, and he was three, four times his size and looked up at him. Talia's friend and protector - he intimidated Crane, but he would not show it. The larger man showed everything in his eyes, said everything that his entire face could not show because of the damage sustained in the Pit - not compared to the physical perfection Talia improvised, but the scars remained on her soul. Jonathan himself had scars on his body and on his soul together.

Jonathan was surprised to see Ra's so soon now, arriving at his doorstep in the Narrows. "Mr. al Ghul," he stated politely. It had been four months since he last saw his fiancée, too.

"Dr. Crane. I hope I have not caught you at such a time..."

"Not at all. What can I do for you?"

The man smiled. "You can clear your schedule for the next week, Doctor. The wedding will take place in Marrakesh."

Now he was here.

He stood on the beach, alone and away from the ancient town, surrounded with palm trees and gardens. The sand were warm and gold, shining bright ivory under the sun. The ocean was the brightest blue he had ever seen, matching his eyes as well as his bride's. And everyone said an oasis was a true fantasy to escape, bringing to mind a classic literature piece that Jonathan was exposed to during college, _The Tales of the Arabian Nights_. Notably the stories of _Aladdin_ and of the Princess Scheherazade who told a story each night of her marriage to the tyrannical sultan to keep herself alive - for a thousand and one nights.

Here they would have their wedding on the beach. Where he was standing. The preparations were made at her father's order, while the groom himself had no voice, not that it mattered to Jonathan Crane. He just wanted to get married - but it wasn't like they would be getting a place of their own anytime soon.

"Enjoying the sights, Doctor?"

He turned around and saw the vision before him in her naturally colored woven dress and scarf. "It's bad luck for the bride and groom to meet before the wedding day," he told her, mildly smiling and teasing. Her raven hair was spiraling and swirling in the breeze, her earrings blue as the ocean before them. Around her neck, exposed from her scarf, was the natural creation of the Thai orchid from his own money just for her. "Your father won't be happy to see us together."

She scoffed. "I thought now was a risk worth taking," she said, moving up and kissing him, searing despite being brief. "As long as the air is crisp and the sun is shining." Then she held up her left hand, showing the ring he gave her. It bore the rose flower between two green leaves on an ornate yellow band. "And as long as the princess claims her poorer prince."

Jonathan laughed as he looked into her shining orbs and gave her another kiss.

Six days passed before the wedding day finally arrived.

If there WAS a God - or in an Allah in the case of the Arabs and their companions - then He was smiling down on them. A canopy crawling with lush greenery was displayed on the shoreline of the ocean, paradise shielding them with palm trees in the distance behind the ceremony setting. Now that Jonathan looked around himself, he had to say this was nothing short of passion. The canopy was also crawling with exotic flowers in bright, bold colors of red, orange, yellow and pink, the curtains overhead sheer orange. Lanterns of gold and colored jewels were also suspended overhead.

Here he was in black and white, but then his eventual father-in-law came to stand before him and the other men in black witnessing where they stood; how their suits could tolerate this unbearable heat, he did not know. His suit and tie made himself feel comfortable. Jonathan looked upon the emotionless men as Ra's al Ghul made the opening sermon in his native language, raising his hand for all to silence, then went on to speak about how Allah created them, beginning with a man and a woman to begin the human race. One being strong to fight, the other to nurture him - and together they would be the strongest of hearts.

All heads were now turned back in time to see the entrance of the bride.

She was an angel, escorted by the much larger man with his spider-like nozzle - but he was also her protector long before she escaped prison as a child and found her father, brought him back to avenge his wife's death. Talia's seductive body was flaunted by the classic lace, demure and sheer at the same time so her upper torso was partially seen; the neckline was plunging to show her sumptuous curves. Her hair was in exquisite braiding accented with flowers, and her jewelry shimmering faceted lapis-lazuli. Princess coming to her prince - he did not believe in fairytale anymore, but _Aladdin_ could not have been more perfect.

Ra's al Ghul smiled at his daughter, which faded when Bane brought her up and presented her to her father and soon-to-be husband. But he didn't object when she turned to look up and smile gratefully before taking her place.

In traditional Arabic culture, in order to validate the marriage, the father of the bride signed a contract known as the _Katb el-Kitab_ , which was very strict with how husband and wife honored each other. This had been done before the vows were taken, and they were man and wife.

"Alas, to finally be alone!" Talia was the first one into their hotel room, given a lush balcony outside resembling an exquisite oasis - but this room was luxury at its finest with the opulent silk fabrics in the bed and its curtains, the floor covered with Moroccan rugs, the walls and pillars carved into the motifs of this country and colored rose-gold - the color scheme all in all in the fabrics ranged from burgundy to gold and silver, dark and light brown, the latter two notably in the furniture. Jonathan shoved off his jacket and pulled his tie from around his neck, then sat down on one of the lush patterned couches to pull off his socks and shoes, all the while watching as his new bride flounced to the other end to turn on an old-fashioned music player.

The most mystical of drumbeats and flutes combined filled the room.

She had not bothered to remove her dancing garb which she had changed to for them to go into town for the festivities. In Arabic culture, it was grandeur, and now she wore a more...revealing article to honor her roots. The brassiere was a combination of gold and silver coins, the skirt itself white velvet and bearing more of them. The way they flounced back and forth as her hips swayed, pumped in a certain rhythm as her wrists flicked back and forth. Talia was not only a powerful fighter, but a beautiful and gifted dancer. She mesmerized any man she performed for - even Bane himself.

The fire building in his loins began to tighten with each second that passed while Talia danced for her husband. When it was over, she threw herself over at him and straddled him. This position made it that much easier for the two of them. Talia was a spiritualist as it was in her culture, but Jonathan did not believe in that nonsense - yet at the same time, it was something special for the two of them. This was everything they both wanted and more; God, if there was one, brought them together for a purpose. He had a fate in Gotham while she had her own, leading to cleanse the dying city he loathed each day. Everywhere they both went, suffering - both for them and another around them - was everywhere.

"Talia..." He found himself looking down at her curves, his hands coming up to caress the silken smooth skin of her bared abdomen and sides and back down to latch onto the waist of her slit skirt, her bare thigh exposed for his touch. His fingers traveled upwards until they found the hair between her thighs, damp with her sexual desire. His own felt like it would explode soon if they did not take this to the bed; Jonathan Crane never knew passion like this until his paths crossed with the Demon Head's daughter and heir. She had been as pure as he was, but used in dancing matters to get close to her father's targets. Jonathan's nimble fingers stroked her, her liquid silk coating his fingers and smelling sweet of spice and cinnamon; that was not her natural aroma, from his gatherings, not that it really mattered. His other hand moved back up behind her while he continued to make her moan with his pleasing of her sex, unclasping her bra and pulling the jingling coins down, exposing full golden breasts peaked with soft honey brown. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss between the valley and moving down for a little bit longer before she stopped him, her pelvis against his hand as her urging to stop before she came on his hand. He grinned against her abdomen; she wanted to prolong her own pleasure a little longer so the stamina lasted.

They were both naked by the time they made it to the grand bed, silk and velvet together against their bare skins, the brocade curtains drawn down to hide them from the rest of the world even though no one would be watching. Jonathan moaned as he gently brought himself to her aching entrance, the wait prolonged enough. Her eyes did not remove themselves from his face while he shifted between her spread thighs. Her plump lips were parted to let out soft breaths of air, her breasts like the domes of India's temples as she waited to be ravished for the first time. He pushed himself past her velvety pubic hair and into her silken walls, succeeding in breaking the blanket obstacle called her hymen and drawing a little shriek from her, but her chest arched upwards before laying back down. Jonathan was worried for a second before moving his pelvis against hers, his own pubic hair fusing with hers, as they became one.

Her cries proved higher than his own, his grunting dominating his better animalistic snarls - he had become a lust-crazed animal in that moment, Scarecrow slowly coming to as he seldom did when Jonathan most needed him, but this was his wedding night, and he could no longer control himself. Talia's legs wrapped around his waist, bringing him closer to her, screaming high enough to bounce off the walls and cause the bejeweled lanterns to shiver, and her husband's mouth and teeth ravished her breasts, continuing unto the very end when their peak burst harder, faster and hotter than the sun bursting into flames to wreak its fire of chaos on the unfortunate world.

 **I honestly loved it very much. Erotic Middle Eastern love, based off "Harem" and "The Arabian Nights". I grew up with the Disney animated movie Aladdin as a little girl, and it's one of my favorites.**

 **In case no one knew, the collection of Middle Eastern tales center around the story of the evil sultan Shahrayar and his bride Scheherazade whom was mentioned by Jonathan himself. After finding about his first wife's infidelity, the sultan had her executed and began a pattern of remarrying before killing the wife the next morning so to prevent another act of unfaithfulness. Eventually, his vizier's daughter, none other than Scheherazade, plotted to end this by telling him a story one night and continuing the next night, and so on with a new tale for a thousand and one nights, sparing her life until her husband has his change of heart about her. "Aladdin" was one of the great stories among.  
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 **Read and review. :D**


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